Sneak peek at the revamped Horse and Groom

Bringing The Horse and Groom back to life: Scott Whittaker from Ever So Sensible, owners of the pub, and new landlord Simon Chester, who has worked in Lincoln for the past six years at Dogma

The Horse and Groom is set to re-open on Friday, November 11, after the completion of a £250,000 renovation project by new owners Ever So Sensible group, also behind Lincoln’s Dogma bar.

The Lincolnite had a sneak preview of the revamped pub and met the new landlord after the venue has been closed since January 2010.

Marketing and Operations Director for the Ever So Sensible group, Scott Whittaker, insists the Horse and Groom has a different focus than Dogma, appealing to a new generation of pub-goers but also keeping traditional pub values such as quiz nights.

Whittaker said: “The Horse and Groom isn’t about discount and cheap drinks, it is about good quality food at good value and we expect to see a good mix of customers being close to offices and students.”

He also added that the new landlord, Simon Chester, who has worked in Lincoln for the past six years at Dogma, will bring great local knowledge to the pub.

Chester himself is excited to be getting back behind the pumps and working more closely to customers.

“I got into bar-tending because I enjoyed the customer service side of things and I’m looking forward to getting the chance to interact with customers again,” said Chester.

The landlord also explained how there is a strong local feel to the pub despite being owned by a group.

Chester said: “We have locally sourced meat from Foster and Sons on Monks Road and fruit and veg from Abbey Parks Farm.”

“We will have a range of local ales on offer as well, currently on Batemans, we will be running through some up and coming Lincolnshire ales and I want the customers to let me know which they want me to serve.”